We-Write: Part 2: The Unexpected Journey

"Hmmm. Yes. Where am I going?". The wizened old man slumped a little and shifted some weight off his weary feet and onto his walking staff, and stared blankly at the emerald trees around him before responding. "Well surely only you would know the answer to that young man." His bushy eyebrows lifted expecting a response.

Roman cocked his head back in mild confusion and furrowed his brow. "What do you mean by that?" He asked back genuinely thrown by the statement.

"Well you created this place, didn't you?" The man waved his stick around and jabbed st him with his free hand. As an after thought the crow pecked twice at Roman's head too imitating his master.

A flock of iridescant four winged birds, resembling giant feathered dragonflies with delicately long tails like that of a childs kite flew startled by the mans wildly sweeping gestures and scattered overhead.

Whered those come from?

"Sir, I am no woodsman." He dropped the bail of cotton off his shoulders onto the ground and showed his delicate unworn palms to the man. "I am but a merchant. I haven't created this."

With that, the the man hammered the butt of his stick into the ground irritated by Romans obviously slow wit and spat out. "With this you dalt! With this!" Tapping the side of Roman's head for emphasis.

The crow went to get his free lick in too, but Roman was ready for him this time and fended the charcoal little menace off with his arm.

"You're saying this is a dream?" He asked incredulously looking around at the strange plants and viscerally warped tree branches overhead.

"Certainly! Here I'll prove it to you. Get me three sticks exactly this long and perfectly straight right now." The man commanded. Roman collected them and brought them back.

The man took them and studied them approvingly as he eyed them and checked their straightness. "Thank you! And then promptly threw them over his shoulder back into the woods.

"Why'd you do that! How stupid." Roman growled and snatched his wool back up tiring of the conversation. "Batty old man." He murmured and began to set off down the path.

"Of course it's stupid!" The man laughed and began to follow him. "Only the mind of an idiot would do such a thing." The crow squawked agreeing. "By the way. Do you know where you're going?" He shouted after Roman.

Roman ignored him and continued walking down the path.

"AHEM!" The old man cleared his throat catching Romans attention. "Its that way." He pointed with his stick the opposite way he was heading. Roman stopped to look around, shrugged and then turned to walk in the direction that was pointed out for him.

For a while he walked the path through the woods unsure if he was going deeper into oblivion or actually finding his way out. The trees remained claustrophobic and gnarled as if constantly reaching for him, but the path began to change from marble to dirt.

Coming around a bend he found a light white mist, vapour like tendrils that floated off everything. He felt light here too, as if his body was a feather and within moments his eyes felt heavy and everything went white.

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"Quick Killian! Grab it. I can't hold him much longer."

Roman slowly awakened, groggy and instantly aware of something tugging on his arm. He uncrossed his eyes to see the most perplexing sight. Two cherubic like elves in green were frantically trying to wrestle his bundle of wool out from his grasp.

"He's awake!" One of them shrieked.

"Got it!" Other exclaimed jubilantly. Ronan sat stunned as he watched the two scamper back into the woods dragging his wool and disappear through an overgrown bush.

"What the hell" Roman managed to mumble, still stunned by the site.

He looked around. The forest and path seemed normal like it always had. Wherever he had been, he was back.

" Hey! It's blimming stained wool! Worthless!" He heard a voice groan from somewhere in the woods.

"It's not gold?" Another more annoyed voice shouted over the other.

"Gnaaah! Bloody hell!"

The sharp sound of leaves and twigs snapping caught Roman's attention as his bundle of wool was hurled back at him and crashed through the trees and landed on the road beside him.

Roman collected himself, stood up and hoisted his wool back over his shoulder.
It really was all a dream...except for the leprechauns. Those little bastards are real

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Thank you for reading part two of @bold-n-italics and I's entry to this weeks We-Write challenge.

The prompt was "where are you going" as supplied by @ntowl and @mariannewest and hosted by the @freewrite community. The post with the challenge along with part 1 to this story can be found here;

Part 1
https://peakd.com/@bold-n-italics/we-write-part-1-the-unexpected-journey

https://peakd.com/hive-161155/@freewritehouse/we-write-reboot-round-2

Thank you for reading. I look forward reading everyone elses entry.

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